Press

PRESS

"Marie-Claire Berreen And Her Husbands, not to put it lightly, have delivered one of the most impressive folk albums of 2015 and they launched it majestically to a justly warm and appreciative Marrs Bar crowd, leaving us glowing in the knowledge we've just witnessed something very special indeed."

"Folk-rock is a most-abused musical term, yet Come Home fits almost exactly that description, its eclectic folk melodies, enunciated with a clarity reminiscent of Judith Durham, nudged along by gently rock rhythms and dramatic flourishes. Strident strums announce 'Fury Of The Storm', an affecting dissonance of melody and backing suggesting nature's unpredictable power over Welsh weather during the album's gestation.

'Husbands', too, splices English folk with rock band dynamics, traditional in its chronicling of a voracious man-eating aristocrat heiress, the innate humour reprised in the easy roll and gentle swing of the wry 'Never Enough For Her'.

Marie-Claire's ploygamous crew are in splendid form. Always empathetic to the song and Berreen's vocal delivery, they especially excel on 'Little One', its age-old melancholy tune pinned down by a brooding piano figure, and 'Spark', where an insistent melody, like rolling waves, is beautifully enhanced by intuituve guitar fills and an epiphanal choral wash. This is all just about summed up on 'Darkness Of The Day', which has a pleasing Dragonfly-era Strawbs feel.

Yet, from the broad cathedral that was 'folk-rock' emerged a rebellious breakaway US West Coast sect, not without global influence, and 'The Owls Are Not What They Seem' and 'Busy People' embrace such psychedelic rock impressively."

"Come home, very nice indeed and especially as it was conceived, as it were, in an isolated cottage in North Wales. Very nice." BBC Radio Wales, Celtic Heartbeat

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"The music pounds and lifts like a tidal wave crashing over a seemingly uninhabited island, the white filtered crest not caring a single jot if the solitary person on the hill writes down the experience but secretly pleased for the attention.

Some music is there for the taking, it places you in the path of observance and requires nothing but attentive feedback before trudging back with reluctance to the place called home, after all the fireside is never the same once you have seen the desert at night." 8.5/10 Liverpool Sound and Vision

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"Marie-Claire and her husbands have delivered an inventive and engaging album that draws the listener in and encourages full immersion, whilst they push and blur the boundaries of folk, a captivating listen from start to finish" Slap Magazine

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"What an amazing performance! It's been twelve months since I last saw you........and what a difference. Like some giant musical butterfly you have transfomed.........A great line up of musicians, great melody lines and some really thought provoking lyrics (including the songs about monsters and owls!). The new album is wonderful too!"

Chris Irving, Red Lion Folk Club

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"The first lesson in song writing - write about what you know. Here is a lady who knows herself to the depth of her soul. Add to this the voice of an angel and her amazingly talented husbands and you have the perfect evening. If she’s playing anywhere near you, even if its 100 miles away, go see her and her husbands, I guarantee you won’t regret it."

Dave Irving, Joules Yard

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"Berreen has a wonderful, warm voice that curiously manages to draw up visions of folk-rock singers of past decades without ever sounding like any one of them in particular."

Stirrings Magazine

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"Beautiful tracks, stunning production and blissful vocals...what's not to like?" BBC Introducing